The capture of this village was crucial to break the important German communication lines along the Bapaume-Péronne road.

The assault was carried out by the 32nd French Army Corps on 25th September 1916. Today, Rancourt has the sad privilege of having three cemeteries: French, British and German, within its boundaries. It is also the shrine, and one of the few sites, of commemoration for the French participation in the Battle of the Somme.

The Chapel of Remembrance, built of dressed stone, was not the result of official initiative: the Du Bos family, who originated from this region, wished to commemorate their son and his comrades who were killed in action on 25th September 1916. In 1937, the Souvenir Français association took on the task of maintaining the monument.

Rancourt Cemetery is the largest French cemetery in the Somme. The remains of 8,566 men, in an area of 28,000 square metres, testify to the violent battles of the final three months of the offensive, from September to November 1916.